Centrifuge



R. C. KIVLEY Jan, 19, 1943.

CENTRIFUGE Filed Mrch l0, 1939 @gf/az Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE CENTRIFUGE Ray C. Kivley, Oak Park, Ill., assigner to Western Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 10, 1939, Serial No. 261,003

(Cl. 2l0--66) ingV a brake-engaging surface 25. The brake- Electric Company,

Claims.

This invention relates to centrifuges and more particularly to centrifuges for use in galvanizing processes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective mechanism for separating materials by centrifugal action.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a motor driven spindle mounted in a casing set into the oor of a galvanizing plant and extending upwardly into a housing having substantially the shape of an inverted funnel. The upper end of the spindle Y supports a framework, in which a basket full of parts which have been galvanized may be seated, and the lower end of the spindle bears on an air chamber into which air is forced for transmission through the spindle by-a blower mounted within the casing. The motor which drives the spindle is also mounted in the casing so that the air which is blown into the chamber will be drawn past the motor to cool the motor. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing which surrounds the basket supporting frame is provided with a closure member, against which the handle of the galvanizing basket will bear if 'the basket tends to rise upwardly out of the framework.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken through a centrifuge for use in galvanizing processes embodying the features of the present invention and Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.r 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate l the same parts throughout the several views, the casing 5 is set into the floor 6 of a galvanizing plant and completely encloses the drive mechanism for a centrifuge frame, designated generally bythe numeral 1. The casing 5 has end walls 8 and 9, side walls I0 and II, and a top I2 and is set into the concrete foundation or floor 6 of the galvanizing plant. The top I2 of the. casing is suitably fixed to or formed integrally with the side walls I0 and II and end walls 8 and 9 and has an opening I3 therein normally closed by a cover plate I4.

Mounted on the side wall I0 of the casing 5 is a motor 20, having a driving pulley ZI xed to its shaft for driving a, belt 22, which, in turn,drives va drum 23fkeyed to a' hollow spindle 24 and havengaging surface 25 has cooperating therewith a brake band 26, which may be moved into engagement with the brake drum 25 in any suitable manner. The spindle 24 has a bearing surface 21, which engages in a bearing 28 mounted on the top of an air chamber 2S, being held in place in the bearing by a lock nut 30.` The chamber 29 may be formed integrally with the end wall 9 of the casing 5, as shown in the present illustration, and has an inlet opening 3l and an outlet opening 32. The inlet opening has suitably mounted thereon a sirocco type motor driven blower 33, which may be any suitable make of blower, and the outlet 32 has the lower end of the hollow spindle 24 extending into it whereby the blower 33 will force air under pressure up through the spindle to cool it.

The right end wall 8 of the casing 5 has an aperture 40 formed therein, in which there is suitably connected a pipe 4I leading to the outside atmosphere, through which air may be drawn into the casing 5 past the motor 20 and upwardly through the hollow spindle 24. Adjacent its upper end, the hollow spindle 24 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 42, which is secured to the top I2 of the casing 5.

The spindle 24, at its upper end, supports the centrifuge frame 1, which includes a base member 44 having six tubular members 45-45 vextending upwardly from it. The tubular members 45-45 are tied together adjacent their upper ends by a band 46 extending around the outside of the members 45--45 and being welded to them. The base member 44 has a series of flanges 41 extending upwardly from it on Vwhich there is mounted a cover plate 53 for supporting va galva'n'izing basket, designated generally by vthe numeral 48. Adjacent the upper end of the spindle 24,thereare'a series of horizontally extending passages or ports 49 which communicate with the central aperture of the hollow spindle 24 to direct some of the air forced upwardly through the spindleout under the base member 44 to cool it. The remainder of the air passed upwardly through the spindle will passout between the ilanges to cool the cover plate 53. The basket 48 comprises a circular vertically extending portion 52, formed integrally with a base portion 51, and having a reinforcing member 54 welded or otherwise suitably secured to its upper end, to which a pair of lugs 55-'55 may be suitably xed for engaging the tubular members 45-45 to insure that the basket 48 will turn with the frame 1. The basket 48 is provided with a, handle or bail 56, V-shaped in configuration, and fixed to the reinforcing member 54.

Surrounding the frame 1 is an annular guard Si), which comprises a vertically extending portion 6l and a flared portion 62, which is flared outwardly away from the frame 'I in the area of the guard 60, where the galvanizing material will impinge on it during a rotation of the centrifuge at high speed, whereby the galvanizing material thrown outwardly from the parts in the basket 48 will normally impinge on the flared portion 62 of the guard and drop off of the guard. The guard 60 is provided with a series of brackets 63-63 spaced about its periphery and adapted to cooperate with supporting posts 64--64 fixed to the top 2 of the casing 5 and the guard is provided with an annular angle member 65 at the upper end of the vertically extending portion 6l thereof. This angle member supports a cover plate 66 having a handle 61 extending outwardly therefrom, whereby the cover plate E6 may be moved into position under a bracket 63 which will hold the cover plate in the path of the bail 56 if the basket 48 tends to move upwardly during the rotation thereof at high speed.

The operation of the mechanism described hereinbefore is as follows: After the basket 48 has been lled with articles to be plated and has been dipped in the galvanizing bath, not shown, it may be positioned on the frame 1, and after the basket 48 is in place on the frame '1, the cover plate 66 may be moved to the position shown and the motor 2i) started. The blower 33, which is provided with its own motor (not shown), runs continuously and will draw air through the pipe 4| into the casing 5 and past the motor 2t to cool the motor. Air will be forced upwardly through the chamber 29 and the spindle 24 and out through the ports 49 and under the plate 53, thereby cooling the spindle and the lower part of the frame 1, while the frame 'l is rotating or standing still. The frame 'l' and the basket 48 mounted therein will rotate at high speed, being driven by the belt 22, whenever the motor 20 is running. Any galvanizing material thrown olf from the parts in the basket by centrifugal force will either drop to the top l2 of the casing directly or will impinge on the portion 62 of the guard 60 and will be directed thereby down onto the top l2, from which excess galvanizing material will be removed periodically,

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore, it will be understood that it is to be limited only Aby the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising a hollow supporting base, a driving motor mounted in said base, a hollow spindle rotatably mounted in said base extending upwardly therefrom and driven by said motor, a port for admitting air to the base at one side thereof, a blower mounted in said base having its outlet in closed communication with the spindle and having it inlet at the side of the motor away from the port in the base for drawing air from the port in the base past said motor to cool it and for blowing said air drawn past the motor through the spindle to cool the spindle, a basket supporting framework mounted on the upper end of the spindle, and a basket supported on said framework.

2. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising a, hollow supporting base, a driving motor mounted in said base, a hollow spindle rotatably mounted in said .base extending vupwardly therefrom and driven by said motor, a port for admitting air to the base at one side thereof, a blower mounted in said base having its outlet in closed communication with the spindle and having its inlet positioned at the side of the motor away from the port in the base for drawing air from the port in the base past said motor to cool it and for blowing said air through the spindle to cool the spindle, a basket supporting framework mounted on the upper end of said-spindle, a basket positionable upon the framework, and a guard surrounding the basket supporting framework and having outwardly flared walls adjacent the basket.

3. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising a hollow supporting base, an intake passage communieating with said base, a driving motor mounted in said base adjacent said intake passage, a hollow spindle rotatably mounted in said base extending upwardly therefrom and driven by said motor, a blower mounted in said base having its outlet in closed communication with the hollow spindle and its inlet adjacent the motor for drawing air from the intake passage of the base to its own inlet past the motor and blowing said air through the spindle to cool the spindle, a basket supporting framework mounted on the upper end of said spindle, a basket supported on said framework, and a guard surrounding the basket supporting framework and having outwardly flared walls adjacent the basket, said guard being mounted upon and spaced from the supporting base.

4. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising a basket for holding parts which have been passed through a galvanizing bath, a framework for receiving and rotating said basket to throw superfluous galvanizing material off the parts in said basket, a hollow spindle fixed to said framework for supporting said framework and having ports therein adjacent the bottom of said framework, means for rotating said spindle, and means for directing a cooling medium through said spindle and ports to cool the spindle and framework.

5. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising a hollow base member, an air intake passage communicating with said base member, a driving motor mounted in said base member adjacent said passage, an air chamber in said base member remote from said passage, a blower having its outlet in closed communication with the interior of said air chamber and having its inlet adjacent the side of said motor away from the intake passage to draw air from the intake passage past the motor and blow it into said chamber, a hollow basket supporting spindle having one end journalled in said air chamber and the interior of the spindle being in communication with said air chamber, a basket supported on the other end of said spindle, and a bearing in the upper surface of said hollow base member for rotatably supporting the spindle adjacent its mid portion.

6. In a galvanizing centrifuge, a basket supporting and rotating means comprising a basket supporting plate, a base member spaced from the basket supporting plate to provide an air space between the base member and supporting plate, said base member having means extending from it to support the basket supporting plate, a driven spindle for rotating the base member, said spindle having an air passage extending axially through it and communicating with the space between the base member and supporting plate for directing cooling airto the space between the base member and supporting plate and said spindie having said base member mounted on top of it, and means for passing air through said spindle.

'7. In a galvanizing centrifuge, a basket supporting and rotating means comprising a basket supporting plate, a base member spaced from the basket supporting plate to provide an air space between the base member and supporting plate, said base member having means extending from it to support the basket supporting plate, a driven spindle for supporting the base member on its upper end and for rotating the base member, said spindle extending through the base member and having an air passage extending axially through it and communicating with the space between the base member and supporting plate for directing cooling air to the space between the base member and supporting plate, a series of passages in the spindle communicating with the axially extending passage in the spindle for directing cooling air radially outwardly from the spindle to cool the under surface of the base member, and means for forcing air through said passages.

8. In a galvanizing centrifuge, a hollow driven spindle, means for supplying cooling air under pressure to said spindle, said spindle being formed with a passage extending throughout its length, a base member surrounding the upper end of the spindle and having its upper surface flush with the upper end of the spindle, a basket supporting plate mounted in spaced relation to the base member to provide an air space between the base member and the basket supporting plate to receive a part of the air under pressure directed through the spindle for cooling the basket supporting plate and the upper surface of the base member, and a basket supported by said plate,

9. In a galvanizing centrifuge, a hollow driven spindle, means for supplying cooling air under pressure to said spindle, said spindle being formed with a passage extending throughout its length, a base member surrounding the upper end of the spindle and having its upper surface flush with the upper end of the spindle, a basket supporting plate mounted in spaced relation to the base member to provide an air space between the base member and the basket supporting plate to receive a part of the air under pressure directed through the spindle for cooling the basket supporting plate and the upper surface of the base member, a series of radially extending ports communicating with the passage in the spindle for directing cooling air to the under side of the base member and a basket supported by said plate.

10. A galvanizing centrifuge comprising an enclosed supporting base, a driving motor mounted in said base, an auxiliary air chamber in said base, a rotatably mounted hollow spindle, one bearing of said spindle being mounted on said base and another on said chamber the interior of rsaid hollow spindle and the interior of the auxiliary air chamber being in communication to constitute an air passage for directing air forced into the chamber upwardly through the spindle to the space above the spindle, means for forcing air around the motor in said base and into said chamber, and a galvanizing basket mounted on the upper end of said spindle, whereby the circulation of air through said spindle prevents the heat of galvanized articles in the basket from overheating the spindle.

RAY C. KIV'LEY. 

